Multiple compartment tray



p il 30, 1940 "HHCRI'MMEL. 2,199,195.

MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT TRAY INVENTOR. fif/YK) ///7 Y5 (Rm/v54.

ATTORNEY5.

Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,199,195 I [MULTIPLECOMPARTMENTITRAY Henry I IaysCrimmel, Hartford- City, I nd assignor toSneath-Glass CompanLqHartford City,

Ind., a corporation Application January 27, 1938, Serial No. 1 7,107

' 4 Claims. (01. 62-1),

This invention relates to'a universal purpose multiple compartment traystructure for refrigerators, or the like.

The chief object of the present invention is to *5 provide in a traystructure a plurality of compartments one of which'is of open oruncovered M: frosting of the cooling unit of the mechanical refrigeratorordr ippage .thereinin the event some otheradjacentor superposedcontainer happens to be accidentally tipped over.

It is contemplated to form. the invention in such shape that it not onlymay be supported 20 upon a rack or tray but may, if, as and when desiredbe associated with suspending guides or slideways.

In a multiple compartment tray of this character it is possibleto retainice cubes in theopen 2,5 storage and cool liquids for drinking purposesin the covered and dispensing portion of the tray. One feature of oneform of the invention is the ventilating character of the tray structurepartition which renders the same suitable for 30 ice cube storage andliquid cooling without melting of the ice cubes by thewarm liquid in thedispensing compartment. 1

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawing and the 35 following description and claims:

In the drawing'Fig. 1 is a'front to rear section a1 view of a portion ofa refrigerator with the multiple compartment tray suspendingly supportedtherebetween.

49 Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the multiple compartment tray structureshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. .4 is a transverse sectional view taken on' line 4-4 of Fig. '3 andin the direction of the Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken 6n]line 55 of Fig. 4 and in the direction of the arrows. c

In the drawing I indicates the top'portion of so a mechanicalrefrigerator or the like, having,'

55 the depending angular members l for slidably andjsuspendinglysupporting a tray structure embodying the invention. The tray structureembodying the invention may also rest upon a rackstructure, conventional,in the refrigerator Reference'will now be ha'dmore especially toFigs.'3 to 5', inclusive, 'wherein there is illustrated one and thepreferred embodiment of the in-' 'vention. It includes a pair ofopposite walls [6 and [1,, a connectingwal'l I8. -andanother con- 10nectingwalllil. Each'of these walls includes a rim portion 20 and therim isjsubstantially coextensive with the top edges of" these walls. 2|indicates the bottomportion of onecompartment in the tray structure.ZZindicatesanOther bot- 't'o'm'portion and 'of the covered compartmentportion of the tray structure.

In one form of the invention bottoms 2| and 22 may be continuations ofthe other. Projecting upwardly from the bottom portion, or por- I tions,is a partition or ridge structure which defines the two compartments.This in'the preferred form of the invention includes the wall portion 24opposite the wall portion l8 and the wall portion 23 opposite thewallportion l9. Thisin the 25 present invention,as illustrated clearlyin Fig. 4, provides a space 25 between the exterior surfaces of thepartition forming walls 23 and 24. If desired, these two walls 23 and 24may be transversely united together between the walls l6 and I! by thetransverse web portions 26. This forms passageways in the partition walland the partition walls at the junction 21 may be provided withapertures 28.

The closed compartment is provided with a suitable valve controlleddrain structure 29,

whereby said compartment may be drained. 7 The upper edges of the wallportions I6 and H between the walls 23 and I9 and the upper edges of thewalls 23 and I9 may have formed therein a." groove or seat 30. This iscontinuous about the top edge of the compartment.

A cover structure 3| includes a finger grippin portion 32 therein andforms a closure for the compartment described when it rests on the seatAll of the foregoing tray structure with the exception of the valvecontrolled outlet 29, may be of glass and the multiple compartment trayportion proper'may be of integral character as illustrated.

'-As previously suggested, the uncovered compartment is adapted toreceive vegetables, ice cubes, and the like, while the coveredcompartment is adapted to receive fruit juices, water, or '55 the like,for cooling purposes. Also, this covered compartment may receiveodoriferous products in place of liquids to be chilled, in which event,of course, the valve controlled outlet would not necessarily be requiredfor use. It is thus possible to maintain ice cubes in storage in theuncovered tray compartment and cool water for drinking purposes in thecovered tray compartment and have the drinking water protected againstaccidental contamination in the event the refrigerating unit l3accidentally defrosts, which does casionally happen.

The invention furthermore has the advantage that as the drinking wateris exhausted from the covered compartment, it may be refilled, andinasmuch as wall 23 is throughout a major portion of its lengthseparated from wall 25 by the air passages 25, the warm water forreplenishing the drinking water supplywill not cause the rapid meltingof ice cubes stored inthe open compartment and furthermore, the coolingwater may be more rapidly cooled by reason of this air circulation.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detailin the drawing and foregoing description, the same is to be consideredas illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as Well as others which willreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all areconsidered to be within the broad scope of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiple compartment tray structure,

integral side walls, a bottom integral with said side walls, anapertured ridge for compartment delineation formed by an indentation insaid bottom, the sides of said ridge constituting additional side walls,and a plurality of webs integral with said additional side walls andproviding with the apertures in said ridge a plurality of vertical airpassages.

3. A refrigerator tray having a plurality of four-sided compartments, abottom common to said compartments, said bottom being indented to formthe fourth side of each compartment, an aperturedcompartment-delineating ridge likewise formed by the indentation of saidbottom, and a plurality of webs integral with said fourth side of eachcompartment providing with the apertures in said ridge a plurality ofair passages.

l. In a tray of multiple compartment charac ter, a bottom common to eachcompartment, said bottom being indented to form a sideof eachcompartment and an apertured ridge for compartment delineation, and webmeans between said sidesproviding with the apertures in said ridge aplurality of air passages.

. HENRY HAYS CRIMMEL.

